San Diego 
The City Attorney's Office will consolidate some of its offices to save the city of San Diego $217,000 annually as it faces a mammoth budget deficit.

City Attorney Jan Goldsmith plans to move the domestic violence unit from the San Diego Family Justice Center to the Civic Center Plaza building, about five blocks away.

Goldsmith said moving the unit to the main office will make it more efficient and won't affect its ability to prosecute domestic violence cases.

“Every bit helps,” Goldsmith said. “We have stayed within budget and will do everything we can to cut expenses.”

Mayor Jerry Sanders has asked each city department to identify 27 percent cuts in their budgets.

— C.G.

San Diego water board names new administrator

SAN DIEGO:
David W. Gibson is the new top administrator for the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board and will replace executive officer John Robertus by the end of the year. An exact date has not been set.

Robertus has served in the role for 14 years and has been a major player in addressing urban storm water, Tijuana River sewage and other issues.

The selection was announced Thursday by the board, which polices water pollution in metropolitan San Diego County and parts of Riverside and Orange counties.

Gibson has worked for the agency since 2000 and currently is chief of the water quality restoration branch. In his new post, he will supervise more than 70 employees and report to a governing panel.

“Mr. Gibson has demonstrated a deep understanding of the many critical and wide-ranging issues facing the San Diego region at this time,” said Richard Wright, chairman of the board. “He possesses the organizational, decision-making and consensus-building skills the San Diego water board is looking for.”

— M.L.

County has Web site for disaster preparedness

The county is spending $105,000 to promote a Web site that spells out how families should prepare for emergencies.

The Board of Supervisors last week directed its staff to negotiate with local radio and television stations for air time to advertise
ReadySanDiego.org
, a Web site of the county Office of Emergency Services.

Visitors to the site will learn facts about swine flu, how to make a family disaster plan and how to get involved as a volunteer, among other things. They can also register for a program that alerts people to emergencies by cell phone and e-mail.

The county plans to spend $10,000 on radio and $95,000 on television spots. The funding comes from a state homeland security grant and $41,000 donated by Barona Resort & Casino and Papa John's San Diego LLC.

— J.M.

Nimitz stops in Bahrain for a little recreation

The San Diego-based aircraft carrier Nimitz arrived in Manama, Bahrain, on Saturday for a short port visit, according to a news release from the ship.

Its Morale, Welfare and Recreation staff is sponsoring shopping, scuba diving and fishing excursions, as well as religious and cultural events and other tours for the crew of about 5,000 sailors.